Entries for the 2018 Awards are now closed.

Acceptance of Entry

Books will not be eligible for entry without a completed entry form and payment of entry fee.

Eligibility of the book and creator/s will be confirmed by the Awards Committee.

Entries deemed ineligible for the Awards will not be returned nor the entry fee refunded.

Entries to the Awards are open between 1 March and 30 November for books published from 1 January to 31 December.

All entries will be acknowledged and receipted.

While all reasonable care will be taken, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage of submitted entries.

Copies of books entered

The books will be distributed to the appropriate category judges and the Awards Committee. Submitted copies of books whether deemed eligible or not shall become the property of the CBCA and shall not be returned to the entrant. Please post books to:

Awards AdministratorThe Children's Book Council of AustraliaLevel 2, State Library of QueenslandStanley Place, South Brisbane QLD 4101

Entry Form

The information contained in the entry form will be entered and maintained on a secure database. For further information regarding keeping of personal information please refer to the CBCA Privacy Policy.

The 2019 Entry Form will be available when submissions open.

Eligibility Criteria

Only publications that meet both the criteria for books and the criteria for creators will be accepted.

Payment of the entry fee must be received to be eligible.

Decisions by the Awards Committee regarding eligibility are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Eligibility Criteria for Books

Books must be published in Australia between 1 January and 31 December of the year of entry.

Books must be available for purchase by the general public in Australia.

Books must be written in the English language or bilingual texts where one language must be English.

Books entered must meet at least one of the following five criteria to be eligible:

Not previously published;

New picture book version of previously published text;

Retelling of traditional materials;

Anthology or collection, of which the greater part of the work has not previously been published in a single volume;

Substantially revised edition. (Publishers to provide evidence of the extent of revisions.)

These awards are only for books in the printed format, as distinct from digital and audio visual formats.

Only entries for readers up to eighteen years will be eligible.

Additional Details

Any entries with accompanying non-book materials will be judged solely on the merits of the book component.

Text books will not be eligible for entry.

Books written as part of a series or published in serial form will be judged as separate entities which must be able to 'stand alone' as a complete work in their own right. Each must have an independent structure and not be reliant on other parts of the series.

Books entered as a boxed set with an ISBN for the set will be judged as a whole and attract one entry fee.

Books in manuscript form are not eligible for these awards.

Eligibility Criteria for Creators

The term ‘creator’ includes authors, retellers, editors of anthologies, and illustrators whose illustrations in any medium form a substantial part of the book. If there is more than one major creator, publishers must provide information on the eligibility of each one.

A creator must be:

An Australian citizen no matter where resident or

A person resident in Australia for at least two years prior to 31 December in the year of publication or

A person who holds permanent residency status for Australia.

If a creator is not an Australian citizen, eligibility will cease at the time she/he ceases to be resident in Australia.

If a joint creator, in the judges’ opinion, has not made a significant contribution to the book, they will not be eligible for an award.

Deceased creators are not eligible except in the case where a creator dies in the year of publication.

If there is more than one creator, only creators who meet the criteria will be eligible to receive an Award. This does not preclude the eligible creator/s receiving the Award.

Children's Book Week

Each year, schools and public libraries across Australia spend a week celebrating books, and Australian authors and illustrators. Teachers and librarians conduct activities relating to a theme to highlight the importance of reading.

Merchandise

The CBCA produces a range of promotional items, including stickers for publishers to place on winning and honour books, and support materials for teachers, teacher librarians and public librarians. The range is always changing and developing.

CBCA Conference

The Conference is a way to connect with fellow literary colleagues and immerse yourself in children’s literature providing a unique learning and networking opportunity for teacher librarians, authors, illustrators, publishing professionals, educators or simply children’s book lovers.

Donate

Throughout the year, we work in partnership with authors, illustrators, publishers and booksellers to bring literature into the hearts and minds of children. Your donation will help us continue this important work.

Reading Time

The CBCA has a strong commitment and a long history of reviewing Australian children's books. For many of the seventy years CBCA has been in existence reviews were presented in our print journal Reading Time.